Mpiyakhe Buthelezi, regent of the Buthelezi Traditional Council, receives his appointment letter as the new spokesperson for King Misuzulu kaZwelithini during a ceremony on Tuesday evening, as Inkosi Prince Zuzifa Buthelezi offers a royal salute.
Image: Supplied
Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has appointed Buthelezi clan regent traditional leader Mpiyakhe Khayalakhe Buthelezi of the KwaPhindangene Traditional Council as the new official spokesperson for the King and the Zulu royal family.
The appointment, announced on Tuesday evening, formally ends Prince Thulani kaGqikazi Zulu's tenure as royal spokesperson. Buthelezi is the half-brother of the late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the former Traditional Prime Minister to the Zulu monarch.
In a statement, the King's private secretary and executive director, Zanemvula Ndamase, said Buthelezi would serve as the authorised public spokesperson for King Misuzulu and work closely with the Office of His Majesty in communicating the King's official positions, programmes, engagements and directives.
He will also be responsible for ensuring that all official communications issued on behalf of the King are accurate, dignified and aligned with the monarch's vision and the values of the Zulu Kingdom.
"The Office of His Majesty is pleased to announce that His Majesty King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has formally appointed Mpiyakhe Buthelezi as the official spokesperson to His Majesty the King. The appointment is recorded in the official letter of appointment," the statement read.
Ndamase said the appointment ceremony was witnessed by members of the Zulu royal family, together with Prince Ntuthukoyezwe Zuzifa Buthelezi, chairperson of the King's Council, reflecting the significance of the occasion and the confidence placed in the appointee.
Buthelezi serves as regent of the Buthelezi Traditional Council, a role he started while the late Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi was serving in Parliament.
Fallout over royal protocol
Prince Thulani's departure follows a public fallout with Ndamase over the King's recent meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa in Pretoria before the expiry of the June 30 deadline linked to the Ingonyama Trust dispute.
According to sources close to the royal household, Prince Thulani accused Ndamase of breaching long-standing Zulu royal protocol by accompanying the King to the meeting without informing him or the King's Traditional Prime Minister, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi.
The sources alleged that Prince Thulani later sent Ndamase a voice note containing derogatory and tribal remarks. They further claimed that Ndamase inadvertently played the recording in the King's presence, prompting the monarch to become angry because he had personally instructed Ndamase to accompany him to the meeting.
According to the sources, King Misuzulu viewed the remarks as an insult directed at him and subsequently instructed Prince Thulani not to return to any of the royal palaces.
Prince Thulani confirmed that he had been replaced but said he had no objection to the King's decision.
"The King has the right to appoint anyone as his spokesperson without providing reasons for replacing the current one. However, I still stand by the contents of the voice note I sent to Ndamase. I maintain that he breached long-standing Zulu royal family protocol," he said.
Responding to the allegations, Ndamase said the meeting between King Misuzulu and President Ramaphosa was a private engagement that did not require either the royal spokesperson or the Traditional Prime Minister to be present.
He added that even if they had travelled to Pretoria, they would not have participated in the private discussions, making their attendance unnecessary and an unnecessary expense.
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